64 entries from September 2013

September 30, 2013

TRANSCRIPTSmoke is seen rising from a London amphibious vehicle in the distance after dozens of tourists on board leapt into the river Thames to escape. The London Fire Brigade said 30 people were rescued from the water but no-one was seriously hurt. Flames and smoke engulfed the Second World War-era vehicle near the houses of Parliament on Sunday. The damaged vessel known as a Duck was later towed away. The cause of the fire isn't yet clear.

LEAPY LANGUAGE1. Leap (= jump) is an irregular verb: leap - leapt - leapt.2. Look before you leap is a well-known English proverb and is used to advise somebody to think about the possible results or dangers of something before doing it.3. A leap in the dark is something you do without being certain what will happen as a result. • I had very little information about the company, so writing to them was a bit of a leap in the dark.4. If you leap at something, you accept a chance or an opportunity quickly and with enthusiasm. • I leapt at the chance to go to France.

COMMENTI'm going to London with a group of students next week, so I think we'll give the Thames river trip a miss! The Tower of London is a much safer bet.

The Mail reports that benefits will be stripped from the long-term jobless unless they work full time picking up litter, removing graffiti or preparing meals for the elderly.
George Osborne will today announce details of the US-style ‘work for the dole’ programme, starting within six months and affecting 200,000 welfare claimants. Full story >>

VOCABULARYThe dole is money paid by the state to unemployed people. • The government is changing the rules for claiming dole. If someone is receiving the dole, we say that they are on the dole. • He's been on the dole (= without a job) for a year. The expression dole queue is used figuratively to mean 'unemployed'. • We could all be in the dole queue on Monday (= have lost our jobs).

September 29, 2013

BACKGROUNDRelations between the US and Iran have shifted decisively over the past week. Enemies since the Iranian revolution in 1979, the two countries are now taking the first wary steps towards a rapprochement that has the potential to alter the politics of the Middle East fundamentally. Although presidents Obama and Rouhani did not shake hands when they were both at the UN on Tuesday, they did talk on the phone on Friday afternoon, the first conversation between an Iranian and an American president since 1979. Read more >>

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune shows President Obama and President Rouhani both holding olive branches - a symbol of peace. Rouhani calls Obama "Small Satan", while Obama describes Rouhani as the "Axis of Not-So-Evil".

EXPLANATION"Small Satan" is a reference to "Great Satan" a derogatory epithet for the United States of America in some Iranian foreign policy statements. The term was originally used by Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini in his speech on November 5, 1979 to describe the United States whom he accused of imperialism and the sponsoring of corruption throughout the world. "Axis of Not-So-Evil" is a play on "Axis of Evil", a term initially used by the former United States President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002, and often repeated throughout his presidency, describing governments that he accused of helping terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction. Iran, Iraq and North Korea were portrayed by George W. Bush during the State of the Union as building nuclear weapons. The Axis of Evil was used to pinpoint these common enemies of the United States and rally the country in support of the war on terror.

MESSAGEThe cartoonist is making the point that while there has been a thaw in relations between the USA and Iran, the two countries are still very suspicious of each other. There is a long way to go before they put aside old emnities and establish a relationship of mutual trust.

VOCABULARYRapprochement is a situation in which the relationship between two countries or groups of people becomes more friendly after a period during which they were enemies. • There now seems little chance of rapprochement between the warring factions. Note that rapprochement, like many words used in diplomacy (détente is another example), is French in origin and is pronounced as a French word: ræˈprɒʃmɒ̃.

McDonald's decision to offer healthy options as part of its value meals is part of a growing health-conscious push, may be more about looks than the health of its profits. Bobbi Rebell reports.

TRANSCRIPTREPORTER: McDonald's CEO Don Thomson was all smiles as he was lauded by President Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative- after the company agreed to promote healthier options to kids. FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: "This is the first time that somebody, with a big player, in the food business has made a commitment in the United States to change advertising directed at children. It is a huge deal. " REPORTER: McDonald's will also add options like salads and fruits to its value meals. But beyond all the applause - will salads and fruits at a fast food joint ever really have the sizzle of french fries? Food industry consultant Dave Henkes of Technomic: DAVE HENKES, VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOMIC: "When you look at the occasions that people are going there for, health is not at the top of the selection criteria, so to speak, and so they have offered things, and I think we see it more as eliminating the veto vote, as giving consumers some options to choose. But it's certainly not something that consumers are going to McDonald's for. There is no question." REPORTER: But for McDonald's looks matter, and sacrificing some top line for its customers' waistlines - in moderation- may be a good thing. DAVE HENKES, VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOMIC: "We don't necessarily see it, you know, as really moving the needle, and we are in a very challenged food service environment. So it's not necessarily something that is going to help their top line. But it's something that from a corporate social responsibility perspective is probably the right move to make." REPORTER: Earlier this week, rival Burger King unveiled Satisfries- lower fat french fries that have 40 percent less fat. McDonald's has declined to say whether it will offer its own lower fat fries.

LANGUAGEThe title of this report contains two plays on words. If you weigh something, you measure how heavy it is — but weigh is also used figuratively meaning "to consider carefully before making a decision". • I weighed the benefits of the plan against the risks involved. There's also a play on top line and waistline. In business jargon, the top line is a reference to the gross sales or revenues of a company, or an allusion to a course of action that increases or reduces revenues. The "top" reference relates to the fact that on a company's income statement, the first line at the top of the page is generally reserved for gross sales or revenue. A company that increases its revenues is said to be "growing its top line", or "generating top-line growth" [source: Investopedia]. And a person's waistline is the amount that they measure around the waist, used to talk about how fat or thin they are. • All these burgers won't do much for my waistline.

September 28, 2013

BACKGROUNDIt's been a good couple of days for President Obama. On Thursday a deal was reached over a United Nations resolution that would require Syria to give up its chemical weapons stockpiles and allow inspectors access to all sites. And yesterday, in the first major contact between the two nations since the Iranian Revolution, U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani spoke on the phone — a possible sign both are serious about reaching a pact on Iran's nuclear programme. However, it was not all good news. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change dented the general mood of optimism by releasing a summary which says that the world's getting hotter, the sea's rising and there's increasing evidence neither are naturally occurring phenomena.

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Peter Brookes from The Times consists of four panels. In the first, we see a triumphant Obama holding up documents marked 'SYRIA DEAL' and 'IRAN DEAL'. In the second, he has his hands together as if giving a prayer of thanks while saying, "We're saved". However, he is up to his knees in water. In the third, the water has reached his waist, and he's beginning to look worried. In the final panel, we can just see the top of his head and ears. Meanwhile, a document entitled Climate Change Report can be seen floating on the surface of the water.

TRANSCRIPTREPORTER: In the first major contact between the two nations since the Iranian Revolution, U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani speak on the phone -- a possible sign both are serious about reaching a pact on Iran's nuclear program. The White House tweeted out this photo of Obama on the phone with the Rouhani, after the call. The Twitter feed believed to be Rouhani's released this photo of the Iranian President on a plane, following his conversation with Obama.U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: "Just now I spoke on the phone with President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two of us discussed our ongoing efforts to reach an agreement over Iran's nuclear program. I reiterated to President Rouhani what I said in New York. While there will surely be important obstacles to moving forward and success is by no means guaranteed I believe that we can reach a comprehensive solution." REPORTER: Earlier this week, Obama hoped to meet with Rouhani while both leaders were in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, but Iran decided a meeting would be too complicated. As president, Rouhani is the head of the government but has limited powers. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the Supreme Leader of Iran, and has final say on domestic and foreign policy, but Rouhani says he has been given full authority to negotiate on the issue. The International Atomic Energy Agency has long struggled to strike a deal with Tehran to enable it to resume a stalled inquiry into suspected nuclear weapons research in Iran.

IDIOMIf you strike a deal with someone, you reach an agreement over something. Note that 'strike' is an irregular verb - 'strike, struck, struck'. • A deal has been struck between the United States and Russia on Syria's chemical weapons.

September 27, 2013

BACKGROUNDOn September 22nd Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, won a landslide victory, boosting her Christian Democrats’ share of the vote to its highest since unification in 1990. Such a remarkable win after eight years in office during such a rocky period makes her the undisputed leader not just of Germany but of Europe. [The Economist]

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune depicts Angela Merkel as a bride. She is wearing a wedding dress and carrying a bouquet of flowers with a German flag sticking out of the top. Instead of one normal-size groom, however, there are several small ones sitting on each other's shoulders. The one at the top, arm-in-arm with Merkel and holding a top hat, is French President François Hollande. Below him is Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy (I'm not sure about the others).

EXPLANATIONThe cartoonist seems to be saying that Merkel is a giant in Europe, and that none of the other leaders can match up to her.

VOCABULARYA bride is a woman who is getting married or who has just got married. A groom is a man who is getting married or who has just got married. See here for more wedding-related vocabulary.

A new budget was meant to quell concerns about France's commitment to economic reforms but disquiet is growing and Finance minister Pierre Moscovici has gone to Brussels to try and convince the rest of Europe it's doing enough. Melanie Ralph reports.

TRANSCRIPTREPORTER: Just 24 hours after presenting his budget France's Finance Minister is rejustifying it to Europe To the relief of Pierre Moscovici it got the thumbs up from EU Commissioner Olli Rehn.EU ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER OLLI REHN: "France has made a huge effort to restore its public finances, and this draft budget law is characterised by responsibility and prudent policy making, and the hypotheses which are the basis of this draft law are very likely to materialise." REPORTER: Not everyone's convinced. France has faced tough criticism for not pushing through enough structural reforms - particularly to its pension system and government spending. Rehn avoided the subject of pensions even though France hasn't raised the retirement age as demanded by the Commission. His confidence hasn't reached markets either. With France's economy lagging well behind neighbour Germany, investors remain skeptical about the budget plans. Commerzbank's Peter Dixon says the euro zone's second largest economy has a 20 year history of failing to reform. PETER DIXON, GLOBAL EQUITIES ECONOMIST, COMMERZBANK: "I think its being pushed to the reform table perhaps a bit unwillingly, but I think that French politicians realise that if they really start to engage in any form of significant restructuring at home, this is going to inflame the partners in the social pact, notably the trade unions." REPORTER: Trade unions may not like it but the problem isn't going away. A hole in the pension pot could reach 21 billion euros by 2020.

IDIOMIf you give the thumbs up to something, you approve or support it. See BBC English for more on this expression.

BACKGROUND
In a widely anticipated speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, told world leaders Tuesday that his government is prepared to "engage immediately in result-oriented" talks with the United States, but also complained about American economic sanctions and military intervention in the Middle East. Read more >>

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Peter Brookes from The Times shows Rouhani holding up two American flags, while at the same time giving the finger with both hands. The New York skyline is visible in the background (the UN headquarters are in NY). A worried-looking Obama comments, "I think we're getting mixed messages here".

EXPLANATIONA mixed message or mixed messages are a set of statements or actions that seem to say first one thing and then a different or opposite thing. • It's frustrating when a manager sends mixed messages about an employee's performance. By waving flags and giving the finger at the same time, Rouhani is sending a mixed message, which is what he did in his speech at the United Nations.

THE FINGERIn Western culture, the finger (as in The cabby cut me off and then gave me the finger) is an obscene hand gesture, which is often a sign of extreme or moderate contempt, roughly equivalent in meaning to "fuck off". Note that you normally give the finger with only one hand, not two. Read more on Wikipedia.

The French 2014 budget is designed to reassure voters concerned about a struggling economy. But the bulk of the savings are being made through curbs in spending rather than tax increases. Ciara Sutton asks how that's viewed by investors.

TRANSCRIPTREPORTER: It's on a firm footing when it comes to fashion but France's finances aren't quite so stable. As Paris Fashion week got underway the government unveiled a budget to tackle that. It's focussing on spending cuts to stimulate the economy - although there will be tax hikes for households. There will be less tax for French businesses though in a plan to make them more competitive. Finance minister Pierre Moscovici. FRENCH FINANCE MINISTER PIERRE MOSCOVICI: "Our financial bill is a budget to boost employment, because this is the ultimate goal of our economic policy. This is the President of the Republic's top priority." REPORTER: The aim - to save 15 billion euros. But it's not going to be easy. 2013 has hardly seen any growth and next year's forecast is not much better at less than 1%. France's public debt is also set to hit a record high - at over 95% of GDP. Mike Ingram is from BGC. BGC'S MIKE INGRAM: "France is very much of a concern, and in many quarters France is considered to be the new sick man of Europe. The French government or the public sector in France is, you know, massively bloated and the Hollande government over the past couple of years has shown no real willingness to rein back significantly on that. So we have this budgetary package in play at the moment. The question is can the government actually deliver on this?"REPORTER: Economists are split on the advantages of cutting spending while the recovery is still weak. And EU officials are also quietly expressing their disappointment, particularly with the modest nature of France's pension reforms. The European Commission is giving France more time to reduce its deficit. But the re-election of an austerity-hungry German Chancellor may increase pressure on the government.

IDIOMIf you say that something is on a firm footing, you mean that it is in a secure position. • Once the economy is on a firm footing, the Fed will need to start boosting rates. The expression is a metaphor, your footing being the position of your feet when they are safely on the ground or some other surface.

Dozens of Nepalese migrant labourers have died in Qatar in recent weeks and thousands more are enduring appalling labour abuses, a Guardian investigation has found, raising serious questions about Qatar's preparations to host the 2022 World Cup. Full story >>

VOCABULARYExploitation is a situation in which somebody treats somebody else in an unfair way, especially in order to make money from their work. • Starvation and poverty are the result of global economic exploitation, not lack of resources.

BACKGROUND
Ailing phone manufacturer BlackBerry, which last week announced that it was cutting 40% of its workforce, is likely to accept a buyout offer from its largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial, for what will amount to $4.7 billion. BlackBerry’s fall from grace now officially appears to be complete. The hardware division of BlackBerry is basically dead. The newest devices running BlackBerry 10 are consumer and enterprise duds. The only smartphones that BlackBerry sells now are its old BlackBerry 7 devices that are well trusted by large corporations and government officials. Read more >>

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Kipper Williams from The Guardian shows a man in a suit (a typical BlackBerry user?) standing beside a grave in a cemetery. The inscription on the gravestone (or headstone) reads, "BlackBerry - FOREVER IN SILENT MODE"

EXPLANATIONIf you put your phone in silent mode, you stop it from ringing (during a meeting, for example). In the cartoon, silent mode is used a metaphor for the 'death' of BlackBerry.

NOTEThe word BlackBerry uses CamelCase, which is the practice of writing compound words or phrases such that each word or abbreviation begins with a capital letter. Camel case may start with a capital or, especially in programming languages, with a lowercase letter. Common examples are PowerPoint or iPhone. [Wikipedia]

Paris' first feline cafe opens, where customers can order cats with their cappuccinos. Elly Park reports.

TRANSCRIPTREPORTER: Here at one of Paris' newest cafés, not only can patrons expect a good cup of coffee, but also a good dose of feline love. The "Cafe des Chats" is the city's first cat cafe, where Parisians unable to keep pets in the cramped city-center apartments can get their dose of "purr-therapy," says manager Margaux Gandelon. CAFE MANAGER MARGAUX GANDELON: "Purring produces vibrations which heal, which relieve arthritis and rheumatism, which lower your blood pressure and your heartbeat." REPORTER: The coffee shop's dozen or so resident cats are rescues, and don't seem to mind the extra attention. CUSTOMER: "He was sitting on the chair when I got here so I put him on my knee but I didn't know what he was going to do and he stayed so I'm really pleased." REPORTER: And the cat's been let out of the bag - news of the feline find has spread, ensuring the cats are already booked until November.

IDIOMIf someone lets the cat out of the bag, they let a secret be known, usually without intending to. • I was trying to keep the party a secret, but Mel went and let the cat out of the bag. See here for more cat idioms and expressions.

VOCABULARYCats purr or meow, both of which are onomatopoeic verbs. See here for more on the noises animals make.